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Single Guide vs Two Guide vs XDel: Which CRISPR Knockout Strategy Is Right for Your Experiment?

Amir Bolandparvaz — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:06:09 GMT

Compare single-guide, two-guide, and coordinated multi-guide CRISPR knockout strategies to understand how guide design affects protein depletion, genotyping, and experimental success.

What You Missed at AACR 2026: Five Takeaways From San Diego That Could Change Your Cell Lineup

info@editco.bio (EditCo) — Tue, 05 May 2026 23:54:19 GMT

A field report from the EditCo team

Ensuring iPSC Quality: Best Practices in Pluripotency Testing for Disease Models

Travis Hardcastle — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:26:11 GMT

Updated on June 12, 2026

As iPSC disease models become increasingly sophisticated through CRISPR genome editing, organoid development, and single-cell analysis, comprehensive iPSC quality control now extends beyond pluripotency markers alone. Researchers increasingly evaluate pluripotency, genomic stability, and lineage-specific differentiation potential as part of a broader validation strategy.

Introduction

The power of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) lies in their ability to self-renew indefinitely and differentiate into any cell type of the human body. These properties make iPSCs indispensable for disease modelling, drug discovery, regenerative medicine, and cell-therapy development. However, the “pluripotent” label comes with a critical caveat: without rigorous testing of pluripotency (identity, potency, functionality), downstream experiments and therapies risk yielding unreliable or unsafe results.

In this article, we explore the spectrum of methods for assessing pluripotency in iPSCs, compare their advantages and limitations, and highlight how implementing robust testing workflows can safeguard the quality of your iPSC-derived models and therapeutic products.

Download iPS Cells tech note: Precision CRISPR Editing of Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cells

Not All CRISPR Kits Are Created Equal: How to Choose the Right Knockout Kit

Amalia Soenens — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:43:31 GMT

How Does CRISPR Work to Knock Out Genes

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a powerful gene editing tool originally derived from bacterial immune systems. It acts as a pair of molecular scissors, allowing scientists to precisely cut and rewrite DNA at specific locations. The system is composed of two main components:

A Cas (CRISPR-associated) nuclease that cuts DNA
A guide RNA (gRNA) that directs the nuclease to the target sequence

Figure 1. The CRISPR-Cas9 System. The CRISPR-Cas9 system comprises a guide RNA (gRNA) and Cas9 nuclease, which together form a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. The presence of a specific protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) in the genomic DNA is required for the gRNA to bind to the target sequence. The Cas9 nuclease then makes a double strand break in the DNA (denoted by the scissors). Endogenous repair mechanisms triggered by the double strand break may result in gene knockout via a frameshift mutation or knock-in of a desired sequence if a DNA template is present.

By leveraging this simple yet powerful system, researchers can edit genomes with unprecedented ease, enabling breakthroughs in areas such as disease modeling, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.

When Cas9 introduces a double-stranded break (DSB), cells typically repair the damage via non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), a process that often introduces insertions or deletions (indels). If these indels occur in the coding region and result in a frameshift, the gene is functionally knocked out.

Gene knockout is foundational in modern biology. And while CRISPR has made knockout experiments more accessible, not all kits on the market deliver the same results. Whether you're just starting out or scaling up a high-throughput workflow, choosing the right CRISPR kit can make or break your experiment.

Figure 2. CRISPR knockout through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). The two most common repair mechanisms facilitating CRISPR-Cas editing are nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR). NHEJ results in either insertions or deletions of nucleotides to repair the DSB, creating a frameshift mutation and effectively knocking out the gene.

Scaling Cell Culture with Argo Automation: How EditCo Delivers High-Throughput Precision

Leah Chong, Ajay Panagariya — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 16:12:06 GMT

Delivering high-quality, precisely edited cells requires more than just cutting-edge CRISPR technology—it begins with a strong foundation in cell culture.

Meet Argo: The Backbone of EditCo’s Automated Cell Culture

Named after the legendary ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts, Argo represents our modern-day vessel for scientific exploration. Housed in a sterile enclosure, Argo is the backbone of our cell culture operations, built for high-throughput expansion, refeeding, and imaging of both immortalized and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

Figure 1. Photo of the Argo workcell.

From Protein Detection to Drug Discovery: Key Applications of HiBiT Tagging in CRISPR Knock-In Cell Models

Travis Hardcastle — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:23:49 GMT

Updated July 23, 2026.

HiBiT-Tagged Knock-In Cells: Choosing the Right Protein Tag for Your Experiment

Travis Hardcastle — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 21:11:49 GMT

When working with proteins—whether for purification, detection, or functional studies—selecting the right tag is crucial. With a wide range of options available, each offering unique advantages and limitations, the most appropriate choice depends on your specific application. Whether you are conducting pull-down assays, live-cell imaging, or high-throughput screening, understanding how different protein tags function will help optimize your workflow and ensure reproducibility.

CRISPR Confidence: The Power of Controls in Genome Editing

Amalia Soenens — Thu, 15 May 2025 00:11:47 GMT

Key Takeaways

CRISPR controls are essential for optimizing editing efficiency, validating phenotypes, and improving experimental reproducibility.
Positive, negative, AAVS1, and lethal controls each serve distinct purposes throughout CRISPR workflows.
CRISPR controls are widely used in functional genomics, pooled and arrayed screening, stem cell engineering, and drug discovery.
EditCo provides validated CRISPR control reagents compatible with immortalized, primary, and iPSC models.

Common CRISPR Control Types and Their Applications

CRISPR genome editing is transforming biological research, and experimental controls are the backbone of reliable, reproducible results. In this article, we explore the essential role of CRISPR controls and supporting reagents in optimizing editing efficiency, troubleshooting workflows, and ensuring consistency across experiments. Whether you're editing immortalized cells, iPSCs, or primary cells, CRISPR positive and negative controls are key to unlocking the full potential of your gene editing experiments.

Why CRISPR Controls Matter

CRISPR controls are not just “nice to have”—they are fundamental to every step of a genome editing experiment:

Optimization: Use controls to fine-tune transfection parameters and editing protocols across different cell types and workflows. Controls help establish optimal conditions before investing in gene-specific reagents.

Assay Development: Optimize transfection conditions and editing performance before targeting your gene of interest.
Screening and Validation: Confirm editing efficiency and distinguish true biological effects from technical artifacts.
Troubleshooting: Identify potential problems with delivery, reagent performance, or cell health.

Without appropriate controls, even the most promising CRISPR screen can yield ambiguous or misleading results.

HiBiT-Tagged Knock-In Cells: The End of the Era of Protein Overexpression

Travis Hardcastle — Tue, 06 May 2025 23:01:23 GMT

Last updated on Aug 14, 2026.

The growing demand to unravel complex cellular processes has fueled rapid expansion in the field of proteomics. As researchers strive to understand proteins in their native context, traditional tools such as antibody-based fluorescence and mass spectrometry present significant challenges. These methods often lack the sensitivity, scalability, or specificity needed to accurately capture the dynamics of endogenous protein behavior. As a result, there is an increasing need for innovative solutions that can overcome these limitations and provide more precise, physiologically relevant insights into protein function and regulation.

Lost in Lysis: The Limits of Conventional Protein Tools

Studying protein function within living cells presents significant challenges due to limitations in current detection technologies. While mass spectrometry and antibody-based protein detection are valuable tools, both approaches have drawbacks that restrict their effectiveness in analyzing endogenous proteins in real time. These limitations have created a need for a robust and scalable method that allows researchers to monitor protein expression and interactions in their native cellular environment without the need for destructive sample preparation.

CRISPR-Edited Fibroblasts: Applications in Disease Modeling, Cancer Research, and Drug Discovery

John Latimer — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:11:09 GMT

Updated July 14th, 2026.

Key Takeaways

Fibroblasts are central to fibrosis, wound healing, and the tumor microenvironment.
CRISPR enables precise functional studies in primary fibroblasts.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are becoming major therapeutic targets.
High-throughput CRISPR screening is accelerating fibroblast research.
Scalable engineered fibroblast models improve reproducibility in drug discovery.

Fibroblasts are essential connective tissue cells that play a key role in extracellular matrix production, wound healing, and cellular signaling. In more recent years, fibroblasts have been implicated in oncologic malignancies, specifically the tumor microenvironment or TME (the ecosystem surrounding a tumor composed of various cells, ECM, and soluble factors). However, this cell type remains significantly understudied and is the focus of many researchers across academia, biotechs, and pharmaceutical companies.